Arrangement for electroslag remelting of metals and, in particular, steel

ABSTRACT

An installation for electroslag remelting of metals and, in particular, steel. Two vertical columns are provided on each of which there is vertically slidably mounted electrode-holding means. One of the two columns also vertically slidably supports a mold-holding means adapted to support a mold for receiving the molten metal. Each one of the electrode-holding means is horizontally swingably mounted about the longitudinal axis of its associated column so that each electrode-holding means is adapted to describe a predetermined arcuate path which intersects the arcuate path described by the other electrode-holding means. The mold-holding means is also horizontally swingable and adapted to position the mold during the remelting process so that its longitudinal axis substantially coincides with the point of intersection of the arcuate paths of the electrode-holding means.

United States Patent Holzgruber et-al. 7

[s41 ARRANGEMENT FORELECTROSLAG REMELTING 0F METALS AND, IN

v PARTICULAR, STEEL a [72] Inventors: Wolfgang Holzgruber; Otmar Kleinhagauer, both of Kapfenberg, Aus-' v tria [73] Assignee: Gebr. Boehler & Co., Kapfenberg,

. Austria 22 Filed: Y June1s,197o

[21] Appl.No.: 46,014

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 17, 1969 Austria ..A 5711/69 [52] US. Cl. ..164/250, 13/9, 164/50 [51] Int. Cl. ..B22d 27/02 [58] Field of Search ..164/52, 252; 13/9, 12;

[56] References Cited 7 I UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 3,152,372 10/1964 Hopkins ..164/52 3,220,067 11/1965 Hopkins ..164/52 3,587,715 6/1971 l-lolzgruber ..164/252 3,589,434

6/ l 971 Kleinhagauer ..164/252 51 Sept. 26, 1972 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 687,687 3/1967 Belgium..; ..l64/52 1,103,350 2/1968 Great Britain ..164/52 156,567 3/1964 U.S.S.R. ..164/52 Primary Examiner-R. Spencer Annear Attorney-Arthur O. Klein 57 ABSTRACT An installation for electroslag remelting of metals and, in particular, steel. Two vertical columns are provided on each of which there is vertically slidably mounted electrode-holding means. One of the two columns also vertically slidably supports a mold-holding means adapted to support a mold for receiving the molten metal.' Each one of the electrode-holding means is horizontally swingably mounted about the longitudinal axis of its associated column so that each electrodeholding means is adapted to describe a predetermined arcuate path which intersects the arcuate path described by. the other electrode-holding means. The

. mold-holding means is also horizontally swingable and adapted to position the mold during the remelting A process so that its longitudinal axis substantially coincides with the point of intersection of the arcuate paths of the electrode-holding means.

7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTED W25 I973 3.693.699

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. STEEL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There isalready known an installation for electroslag remelting of metals comprising a plurality of columns which are rigidly mounted and thus provide a separate vertical axis about which a mold is swingably mounted. This known installation makes it possible to produce metal ingots which are formed by means of a plurality of molten or fused down electrodes. In this known type of installation the electrodes'to befused are consecutively guided to the mold by alternate electrode holders, the mold being positioned always under the electrode which is in the process .of being fused down. Since, in these known types of installations the electrodes to be fused down are closely spaced with respect to each other while being supported by the electrode holders, the transporting to and from the installation of, the electrodes to be fused down as well as of the formed metal ingots presents great difficulties, in particular, when the electrodes to be fused down are .very large.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a general object of the invention to provide an installation for supporting electrodes in an electroslag remelting process which is of very simple construction and which avoids the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art installations by transporting the electrodes to be fused closely consecutively to a mold. The installation of the invention includes two vertical columns. On each column there is provided an electrode-holding means which is swingable about the longitudinal axis of the column in ahorizontal direction; The electrodeholding means describetwo arcs which intersect each other. The longitudinal axis of the mold coincides with the point of intersection of the two arcs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The nature of the invention and its advantages will appear more fully from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic elevational view of the installation of this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the installation illustrated in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now in more detail to the drawing, FIG. 1 illustrates a mold 10 for receiving the molten metal 'whichhas cylindrical inner wall means 11 and a flange 'portion 14 supported by the'two fork-like arms 23 of are mounted on the columns 30, respectively 30, so that they are secured against rotation. The electrodes 40 and 40' which are to be consecutively melted down by passing an electric current therethrough, are respectively secured at their upper ends, where they are provided with axial flanged extension rods 41, 41, to the swingable members 52, 52 of electrode-holding means 50, respectively The electrode-holding means 50 is mounted on the same column 30 as the mold-holding means 20, whereas the electrode-holding means 50' is mounted on a second vertical column 30, identical to the column 30. The mold-holding means 20 as well as the electrode-holding means 50 and 50' can be vertically moved with the aid of a cable and winch arrangement 27, well-known per se, respectively 56, 56', supported on a beam 57 which is mounted on the corresponding columns 30, respectively 30'. The cable and winch arrangements 27, 56 and 56 operate independently and can independently vertically move the electrode-holding means 20, 5l-and 51' in the vertical direction. Consequently, it is necessary when longer ingots 42 are to be produced with the installation, to adjust the vertical positions of the electrode 40 to be remelted and the mold 10 in such a way that, on the one hand, the electrode 40 is immersed in the slag layer 43 .which floats on top of the molten metal (and which serves for the cleaning and protection of the molten steel) while the end of the electrode 40 is maintained at the desired distance from the level of the molten metal, and, on the other hand, (with the exception of the initial phase of the remelting process) the position of this level of the molten metal relative to the mold 10 remains unchanged.

Each electrode-holding means 50, respectively 50', consists of an arrangement similar to that of the electrode-holding means 20. Thus, the electrode-holding means 50, respectively 50', comprises a guide member 51, respectively 51', and a member 52, respectively 52', swingably mounted on the member 51, respectively 51'. The guide members 51, 51 are respectively slidably mounted on the columns 30 30. The swingable members 52, respectively 52', of the electrode-holding means 50 and 50', respectively, the mold-holding means 20 are provided each with a gear ring 24, 53, 53, which is respectively engaged by a gear wheel 25, 54, 54' mounted on the corresponding guide member 21, 51, 51' and which is driven by a corresponding electromotor 26, 55, 55'. The installation of the invention is therefore adapted to respectively swing, with the aid of the electromotor 55, 55' and the electromotor 26, the swing member 52, 52 of the electrode-holding means 50, 50', together with the appurtenant electrode 40, 40, as well as the swing member 22 together with the appurtenant mold 10 about the longitudinal axis of the corresponding column 30, 30. The mid-point of the base plate 62, which consists preferably of copper and on which the metal ingot 42 formed of metal that has solidified during the remelting process, is supported, is located close to an immaginary vertical line, which passes through the point of intersection of both arcs formed by the swing path S S of the electrodes 40 and 40 (see FIG. 2). One of the poles of a source of electrical power (not illustrated) is connected by means of the electrical conducting means (for example, electrically conductive cables) to the extension rods 41, 41 of both electrodes 40 and 40 (the source of electrical power can, for example, consist of the secondary winding of a transformer). The'other pole of the source of electrical power is connected by means of the electrical conducting means 61 to the support plate 62. The mold is cooled during the remelting process by means of water which flows between the inner cylindrical wall 11 and the outer cylindrical wall 12, which define the hollow space 13 in the mold 10. The conduction to and from the mold of the cooling water, specifically to and fromthe hollow space 13, is carried out by means of a flexible hose (not illustrated). A cooling system of the aforedescribed type is, for example, described in the copending and coassigned application Ser. No. 773,622. There can be manufactured with the aid of the above-described installation steel ingots which have been formed by a plurality of remolten electrodes. The electrodes 40, respectively40', to be remelted are closely consecutively exchanged by means of the electrode-holding means 50 and 50 and are transported in close succession to the mold 10. The installation of the invention affords the advantages, compared with the electrode-holding means of the prior art, in considerably facilitating the transportation of the electrodes to be fused down to the mold as well as the transportation of the formed metal ingots from the installation to a storage area during the remelting process. The ease of operation of the installation of the invention is based on the swingability of the electrode and mold-holding means and the installation operates flaw-free even when the electrodes to be fused have very large dimensions. The electrode-holding means of the invention are also suitable in installations for electroslag remelting of metals which include only one column on which there is mounted an electrode holder as well as a mold support.

Although the invention is illustrated and described with reference to one preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be expressly understood that it is in no way limited to the disclosure of such a preferred embodiment, but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an installation for electroslag remelting of metals, in particular steel, an arrangement, comprising in combination,

first and second vertical columns;

first and second electrode holding means respectively vertically slidably mounted on said first and second vertical columns and adapted to be fused down;

and third holding means mounted on said first vertical column and adapted to support a mold for receiving molten metal from said electrode to be fused down;

said first and second holding means being adapted to respectively swing along first and second arcuate paths about the vertical longitudinal axes of said first and second columns, said first and second arcuate paths having end points determining the extents thereof and said first and second arcuate paths intersecting each other between said end points; the longitudinal axis of said mold 'substan tially coinciding at least during electroslag remelting of metals with the point of intersection of said first and second arcu te paths. 2. In an msta ation or electroslag remelting of metals, the arrangement as set forth in claim 1, including a base plate mounted below said mold and adapted to support the metal ingot formed by the solidified metal from the fused down electrode in said mold, the planar center point of said base plate substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis of said mold and the point of intersection of said arcuate paths.

3. In an installation for electroslag remelting of metals, the arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said third holding means is also slidably mounted on said first vertical column.

4. In an installation for electroslag remelting of metals, the arrangement as set forth in claim 3, whereinsaid third holding means is also adapted to horizontally swing along a third arcuate path about the vertical longitudinal axis of said first vertical column.

5. In an installation for electroslag remelting of metals, the arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein each one of said first and second holding means comprises a first member slidably but non-rotatably mounted on the vertical column, a gear ring rotatably supported on said first member, clamping means pivotally mounted on said first member and operatively connected to said gear ring, and an electromotor mounted on said first member and drivingly operatively connected to said gear ring.

6. In an installation for electroslag remelting of metals, the arrangement as set forth in claim 4, wherein said third holding means comprises a second member slidably but non-rotatably mounted on the first vertical column; a gear ring rotatably supported on said second member, clamping means pivotally mounted on said second member and operatively connected to said gear ring, and an electromotor mounted on said second member and drivingly operatively connected to said gear ring.

7. In an installation for electroslag remelting of metals, the arrangement as set forth in claim 5, wherein said first and second columns have spline-shaped crosssections and are fixedly and rigidly mounted. 

1. In an installation for electroslag remelting of metals, in particular steel, an arrangement, comprising in combination, first and second vertical columns; first and second electrode holding means respectively vertically slidably mounted on said first and second vertical columns and adapted to be fused down; and third holding means mounted on said first vertical column and adapted to support a mold for receiving molten metal from said electrode to be fused down; said first and second holding means being adapted to respectively swing along first and second arcuate paths about the vertical longitudinal axes of said first and second columns, said first and second arcuate paths having end points determining the extents thereof and said first and second arcuate paths intersecting each other between said end points; the longitudinal axis of said mold substantially coinciding at least during electroslag remelting of metals with the point of intersection of said first and second arcuate paths.
 2. In an installation for electroslag remelting of metals, the arrangement as set forth in claim 1, including a base plate mounted below said mold and adapted to support the metal ingot formed by the solidified metal from the fused down electrode in said mold, the planar center point of said base plate substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis of said mold and the point of intersection of said arcuate paths.
 3. In an installation for electroslag remelting of metals, the arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said third holding means is also slidably mounted on said first vertical column.
 4. In an installation for electroslag remelting of metals, the arrangement as set forth in claim 3, wherein said third holding means is also adapted to horizontally swing along a third arcuate path about the vertical longitudinal axis of said first vertical column.
 5. In an installation for electroslag remelting of metals, the arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein each one of said first and second holding means comprises a first member slidably but non-rotatably mounted on the vertical column, a gear ring rotatably supported on said first member, clamping means pivotally mounted on said first member and operatively connected to said gear ring, and an electromotor mounted on said first member and drivingly operatively connected to said gear ring.
 6. In an installation for electroslag remelting of metals, the arrangement as set forth in claim 4, wherein said third holding means comprises a second member slidably but non-rotatably mounted on the first vertical column; a gear ring rotatably supported on said second member, clamping means pivotally mounted on said second member and operatively connected to said gear ring, and an electromotor mounted on said second member and drivingly operatively connected to said gear ring.
 7. In an installation for electroslag remelting of metals, the arrangement as set forth in claim 5, wherein said first and second columns have spline-shaped cross-sections and are fixedly and rigidly mounted. 